Weizmann Institute Constructs Electronic Computer of Great Speed

December 31, 1963

REHOVOT, Israel (Dec. 30)

The Weizmann Institute of Science today put into use a new electronic computer having a great speed and accuracy.

Basing the new machine, nicknamed the “Golem,” on the Illinois Computer which is capable of an accuracy of 13 decimal places, Israeli scientists perfected the Weizmann Institute computer to work with an accuracy of 19 decimal places at the same speed.

Professor Chaim Pekeris of the Institute’s Applied Mathematics Department said that they now intend to construct a “Super Golem” which will work out problems even the Golem cannot answer such as the weather forecast for the next day. The Golem can plot ocean tides and currents which even the American computer purchased last year for $1,100,000 cannot perform. The cost of construction of the Golem was $800,000.